Many people are surprised to learn that you don’t actually interact with the Medicare organization (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS) in order to enroll in Medicare. Your first point of contact with the Medicare program is Social Security. You don’t have to draw Social Security benefits to be covered by Medicare. However, whether or not you already draw Social Security benefits at age 65 does determine when and how you enroll.

If you are already drawing Social Security before the age of 65, relax. You will be automatically enrolled in both Part A and Part B. Your Medicare card will be sent to you approximately 3 months before you turn 65.

If you will not be receiving Social Security benefits at 65, you have to contact Social Security to enroll in Medicare – they will not contact you. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to begin your enrollment process. What about Internet enrollment? Well, SSA will allow you to sign up for BOTH retirement benefits AND Medicare via the Web. They do not provide for Internet enrollment in only Medicare.

Enrollment in Part C (alternative Medicare health plans) and Part D (Medicare drug coverage) differs from Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) in that you don’t get these coverages directly from SSA or Medicare. Rather, these programs are administered by private insurance companies via policies that you purchase from them. We’ll look more closely at these programs in another lesson.